Cigarette dispenser



May 15,1951 F. o. THOMPSON 2,553,120

CIGARETTE DISPENSER Filed April 25, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 r 'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII g I @om 0. THOMPSON May 15, 1951 F. o. 'rHoMPsoN 2,553,120

CIGARETTE DISPENSER Filed April 25, 1947` v 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Ey 6. Ey 7 "IHM FLOYD o. THOA//so/V Patented May 15, 1,951

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims. l

This invention relates to cigarette stands, and more particularly to a unitary device that contains a cigarette holder, a cigar holder, a match holder, an ash receiver, and an ash compartment.

A principal object of this invention is to provide a portable stand that will add to the comfort of a smoker by making available to him cigarettes, cigars, matches, a lighter, and an ash receptacle.

Further objects will be obvious to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following description. The annexed drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes may be made therein in accordance with the terms of the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the device.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the device of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a vertical section taken along the line 3 3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an end view of the device, taken from the left of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a vertical section of the device, taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a vertical section, taken along line B--G of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a vertical view, partially in section, of the latching means for the cigar compartment.

Figure 8 is a vertical end section of the cigar compartment when open.

Figure 9 is a vertical section of the latching means for the cigar compartment, taken along line S-S of Figure 7.

Figure 10 is a horizontal section through the latch, taken along Ill- Ill of Figure 9.

The cigarette stand forming the basis oi this invention comprises a box-shaped structure I3 that is rectangular in plan, as seen most clearly in Figure 1. It has a flat bottom II, adapted to rest on a table, and a handle I2 with which it may be moved. The lower portion of the device is hollow and constitutes a compartment I3 to receive ashes. The compartment I3 is provided at its front end, .or the end opposite to the handle I2, with a sloping door I4 that is hinged upwardly at I5. The hinge I5 is provided with a spring element I6 to keep the door I4 normally closed. A cover lift I1 will facilitate opening the door I4. It will be noted that the forward edge I8 of the bottom II is slightly curved upwardly and that the bottom edge of the door I4 is curved downwardly and partially overlaps the edge I8 to afford a tighter closure and to minimize spilling of the ashes. Ashes may be deposited in the compartment I3 through an ash receiver 20. This receiver 20 is in the form of a truncated cone, with the apex downward. The upper portion of the ash receiver 20 is provided with a plurality of rests 2l for holding cigars or cigarettes. If so desired, the top of the ash receiver 2l] may also be provided with gratings 22.

Joined to the lower portion of the cigarette stand by means of screws 25 is an upper portion comprising a cigarette and match compartment 3 I, a lighter receptacle 3l, and a cigar compartment 4I. -The cigarette and match compartment 3l has a top 32 that is secured thereto by screws 33, and the compartment is adapted toV hold a drawer 34 that may be moved in and out through the front of the compartment. The drawer 34 is designed to have a rear match chamber 35 and a front cigarette chamber 36. The floor of the cigarette chamber 36 slopes downwardly toward the iront, for a purpose to be more fully described hereinafter. The floor of the match chamber 35 is straight. A hinged door 31 is hingedly secured to the drawer 34 as at 63, and is provided with an outside knob 38 and a slotted inner brace 33. Drawer 34 may be slid outwardly to give access to the contents of the compartment 3|. The inside of the hinged door 31 is provided with a ledge 40 which is in alignment with the sloping bottom of the cigarette chamber when the door is closed. This ledge 40 is wide enough to hold one cigarette, so that if several cigarettes are positioned as shown in Figure 5, a rotation of the door 31 about its hinges will make a cigarette available. vOf course, if it is so desired, the entire drawer 34 may be slid out to make the matches in the chamber 35 available, or the knob 38 may be pulled and swung at the same time. Each swing of the door 31 will transfer a cigarette from the sloping bottom of the chamber 36 to the inner ledge 4B of the door 31. The upper portion of the door 31 may contain a ball and spring detent, and the interior of the cigarette and match compartment 3l may be provided with the necessary rails and stops to appropriately position and guide the drawer 34.

The cigar compartment 4I is adapted to hold a removable open-top cigar tray 42. The compartment 4I has a hinged top door 43, which when open will provide access to the cigar tray 42.

The top door 43 is provided at one end with a hinge 44 and at the other end with a latch 45. When unlatched, the door 43 will be urged .3 to upright position by a leaf spring 4B pressing against the under side of the door 43. A humidier 41 may be secured to the under side of the top door 43. A folding brace 48 attached to the under side of the door 43 will not only strengthen the door, but also afford a stop towards upward movement.

The latch 45 is adapted to swing on a horizontal pivot 50, and in its latching position a nose 5I is adapted to hook over a projecting portion of the cover 43. A spring 52, secured by pins 53 and 54, bears against the latch 45 to bias it into latching position. The pivot 59 is fixed to a knob 55 that projects outside theV cigar compartment 4l, and it will be apparent that rotation or the knob 55 will act to release the nose 5I of the latch 45 sor that the Vdoor 43 will be swung to upright position by the spring 46.

The operation of the device will be brieiiy described.

With the door 43 open, the cigar tray 42 may be placed within the compartment 4i. When the door 43 is depressed, it will catch the nose 5i of the latch 85, A single twist of the knob 55 will be suiicient to release the catch 135 Yand provide access to the contents of the tray 42.

A pull on the knob 38 will slide out the drawer 34 to any extent desired. A 'downward swing on the knob 33 will pivot the door 31 and position a cigarette on the ledge 453. The user may take a match from the match chamber .35 or use the lighter in the lighter receptacle Si.

Ashes deposited in the ash receiver i2 will fall into the compartment I8, whence they can be easily removed when the door lll is opened.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cigarette dispensing device, a horizontally disposed casing having one end open, a drawer positioned within said casing and mounted therein for sliding movement longitudinally thereof into and out of closing relation with respect to the open end of said casing, said drawer comprising a body having one end open and having the other end closed and including a bottom sloping downwardly from a point contiguous to the closed end thereof toward and terminating at the open end thereof, a door Ybridging the open end of said casing and said body and pivotally mounted on the bottom of said body for swinging movement into and out of clos ng i relation with respect to the open ends of said casing and said body, said door cao-operating with said body to form a receptacle contiguous to said open end of the latter for the reception of the plurality of cigarettes arranged in side-byside relation with respect to each other, a horizontally disposed ledge arranged intermediate said door and the adjacent end of said body and ixedly secured to the inner face of said door, said ledge being provided with a groove for the reception of one of said plurality of cigarettes, means on said inner face of said door and interengaging means on said body for limiting the swinging movement of said door out of closing relation with respect to the open end of said body and said casing, and manually actuable means carried by said door for effecting the swinging movement of the latter to the limited position and for subsequently effecting the sliding movement of said door.

2. In a cigarette dispensing device, a horizontally disposed casing having one end open, a drawer positioned within said casing and mounted therein for sliding movement longitudinally thereof into and out of closing relation with respect to the open end of said casing, said drawer comprising a body having one end open and having the other end closed and including a bottom sloping downwardlyfrom a point contiguous to the closed end thereof toward and terminating at the open end thereof, a door bridging the open end of said casing and said body and pivotally mounted on the bottom of said body for swinging movement into and out of closing relation with respect to the open ends of said casing and said body, said door zzo-operating with said body to form a receptacle contiguous to said open end of the latter for the reception of the plurality of cigarettes arranged in sideby-Side relation with respect to each other, a horizontally disposed ledge arranged intermediate said door and the adjacent end of said body and iixedly secured to the inner face of said door, said ledge being provided with a groovefor the reception of one of said plurality of cigarettes, means on said 'inner face of said door and interengaging means on said body for limiting the swinging movement of said door out lof closing relation with respect to the open end of said body and said casing, and manually actuable means carried by said door for effecting the swinging movement of the latter to the limited position for subsequently effecting the sliding movement of said door, the means carried by the door comprising a pair of arcuate slotted members, and the means carried by said body comprising a pair of pins, each of said pins having one end flxedly secured to the adjacent side of said body and having the other end in engagement with the adjacent one of said slotted members.

FLOYD O. THOMPSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS France Apr. V29, 1935 

